Alright, this is the recipe some of you might have been waiting for. As a German/Bulgarian kid, I had never even heard the word ´curd´ four months ago. But now that I tried making it my self using such a great recipe from Java Cupcake, I love it. On her Blog, Betsy shows one possibility for using this curd in cake. It is the filling of two dozen of wonderful chocolat-y muffins, topped with a cream cheese butter cream. The combination is sooo good. :D I made the cupcakes with two friends of mine… and the suitable necklace with a raspberry charm out of polymer clay ;).

Beauty!

You will need some time for making these babies, so please make sure you have no time pressure and you have prepared the Raspberry Curd already.

Raspberry Curd Filled Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

makes about 24 cupcakes

120 ml (1/2) cup strong brewed coffee
120 ml (1/2) cup heavy cream
250 g (2 sticks) unsalted butter
60 g (1/2 cup) cocoa powder of best quality, highest percentage of cocoa you can find
1 tsp vanilla extract
240 g (2 cups) flour
450 g (2 cups) sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
200 g (2/3) cup sour cream

Cream Cheese Frosting

250 g (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 tbsp cream cheese, room temperature
60 g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar
80ml (1/3 cup) heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp salt

1 cup raspberry curd

To prepare the dough, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Stir in the heavy cream, coffee and vanilla extract. Let the mixture start to simmer just a little. Remove from heat an let cool.

Preheat the oven to 175°C (350°F). Line muffin pan(s) with paper moulds.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Set aside until needed. Cream the eggs and sour cream in a seperate medium-sized bowl. SLOWLY add the chocolate mixture to the other wet ingredients. Make sure you are not in a hurry, you must really start with a little amount of liquid and go on adding the rest step by step. Always stir in between, stop pourig the warm liquid inside while doing this.

And now the funny part: Combine the dry and wet ingredients by adding one third of the wet ones to the dry ones, stir, do not overbeat. Repeat the steps with the other two thirds.

Nothing of this yummy dough should be wasted, lol.

Fill the cupcake molds up to 3/4 woth dough and bake for about 17 to 19 minutes. Let cool in the mold for about 5 minutes before taking them out.

To make the frosting, cream together butter and cream cheese. Bring the heavy cream with the vanilla extract to a simmer. Don’t forget whisking. Add powdered sugar and heavy cream to the cream cheese mixture on high speed until light and fluffy. Let the cream chill in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

Cut out a whole in the middle of each cupcake (volume of about one teaspoon) and fill in one teaspoon of raspberry curd. Top with the cut out dough.

Pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes and decorate with a piece of dark chocolate. Chill for about an hour and serve.

Recipe adapted from Java Cupcake